Masks and Costumes of the Noh Play Yang Guifei
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Noh Costume (Karaori) with Peonies and a Woven-Wood Fence, Edo period, 18th century
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 9
June 20, 2023 (Tue) - August 6, 2023 (Sun)The noh play Yang Guifei is named after its female protagonist, with whom Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (618–907) was deeply in love. Having been separated by death, Xuanzong commands a search for the spirit of Yang Guifei, who appears as an aristocratic woman wearing gorgeous garments with a red sash and a celestial crown. This play was popular during the Edo period (1603–1868), with audiences moved by its portrayal of the tragic love between Yang Guifei and the Emperor.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Noh Costume ("Karaori") with Peonies and a Woven-Wood Fence | Edo period, 18th century | I-2030 | ||||
| Highlight | Noh Mask: "Hōrai Onna" | Inscribed “Created by Iseki Taikōbō”, Passed down by the Uesugi clan | Azuchi-Momoyama–Edo period, 16th–17th century | C-1486 | |||
| Highlight | "Yang Guifei" from Volume 3 of "Illustrated Handscrolls of Noh and Kyōgen Plays" | Artist unknown | Edo period, 18th century | A-10185 |